Friday evening. Ti Luc is asleep and I have a little charge in my laptop so am writing this with a flashlight on the keyboard. I will send this out whenever we get electricity again. Luckner has arranged for someone in PAP to search for a piece for our generator. When you read this you will know some electricity has been restored to our compound. [Thankfully a part has been found and the generator seems to be running again now, Sunday.]
Give thanks in all circumstances.
This, like a lot of things in life, is easier said than done. Why is that so? Do we sometimes allow ourselves to become stressful when things seem to be going wrong and things get difficult? Do we sometimes take it upon ourselves to worry and fret about others. I know sometimes I allow myself to do that first instead of saying ‘thanks to God’ first in the circumstances. I am guilty of that at times especially when those circumstances affect loved ones including children in my care. When I stop, take a deep breath, and tell God I am sorry I allowed myself to start to fret, and give him thanks in those circumstances instead, immediately I feel much better.
For awhile here at HATS we have found ourselves in difficult circumstances. I have often heard said – “Things are going wrong today.” “Things have not gone right this week.” “Nothing has gone right for awhile.” What does that mean exactly – “Going right”?? Going as we want them to go? Every day smooth sailing?
Are we being stretched? Are we outside our comfort zone? Are we allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed? Have we said ‘Thank You God’ in the circumstances?
Here at the HATS-Haiti Mission things have been difficult for some time – especially with illness due to the Chikungunya virus. We had several teachers sick at the same time. Students seemed to be falling like flies – even in the midst of exams – at our school and also in government grade six and grade nine exams.
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| June exams in Ti Luc and Leica’s class |
Too, we had employees on the main administration/orphanage compound get sick. Sometimes 2 and 3 at a time. Only two employees have not gone under with Chikungunya. House mothers were off for 4 to 10 days and returned while still suffering as others were worse than they were. Several of our children have been ill with it, the two who have been hit hardest with this are Ti Fi and Ti Luc. These two precious children have some balance problems when well. With this virus they have had, and still are having, some serious balance issues. With everyone who gets it the fatigue seems to stay for a very long time.
I thank God for the two employees who have not gotten ill with Chikungunya, and for those who returned to work while still unwell, so the children could be cared for. I thank him for Luckner who kept going and pushing to see the school exams finished. I thank God that we have some tylenol that helps a little. I thank him that we have beds for those who are ill to lie on. I thank him that we have people praying for us. The list of things I am thanking him for goes on and on.
I have been thinking about the many people in Haiti ill with this horrible Chikungunya that do not have tylenol, or a comfortable bed to lie on. They are so much worse off than we are here at HATS. I am praying for those people and especially for the children, and for seniors who had not been in good health before. Let us not focus on our problems but think about and pray for those who have a lot less and are suffering a lot more.
Tuesday night past during a storm lightening hit our transformer for EDH (Haitian electricity source). The next day, Wednesday, the generator quit – a big part was burned out inside. On Wednesday too we discovered that the inverter that supplies electricity to the main house/administrative building, when there is no EDH or generator power, was dead. Not one, not two, but three sources of electricity were out. Three strikes and you’re out, right? No. Definitely Not. With God we are never ever ‘out’.
2 Corinthians 4 talks about being hard pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair. This mission belongs to the Lord. When walking with God we should not be in despair for any reason. He has continued to build and raise up the HATS-Haiti Mission. He will continue to do so.
Between May 2013 and May 2014 there was a team from my home town of Springdale, Newfoundland fundraising for a needed new and bigger generator for HATS-Haiti mission. They worked diligently and with the help of generous supporters of their ‘generator project’ they did indeed raise sufficient funds. We hope for a part to get this one running again while we order a new one for the mission.
At this time God is helping us to continue to take care of the children in the present situation and circumstance. There is a chorus that says “Bigger than all my problems, bigger than all my fears; my God is bigger than any mountain we can or cannot see.” He was, He is, and He always will be biggest than anything that can trouble us. We need to tell him thanks all the time and let Him take care of things in His way and His timing.
With no source of electricity there is no way to put water in the tanks. ‘No water’ is a big problem. A lot of people living on the compound and no water for showers, tooth brushing, hand washing, toilet flushing, drinking, cooking, etc. Instead of focusing on the fact there is no water coming our of our taps I am thanking God we have taps that will one day give us water again. I am thanking him that in the meantime we have a truck that we can fill with buckets and drive to the hospital area in Deschapelles and fill with water. From 7:30 P.M. in the evenings we are in blackout. All three houses on the compound and the security, however, have a flashlight so I am thanking him for that.
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| With help from Mama Karen our boys are bathing with a little with a bowl of water each. |
Have things been easy? No. Have we been managing? Yes. Are we all well? No Are we all okay? Yes.
We have lots and lots to thank God for and that is what I am doing. Thanking him in the circumstances.
With no electricity there is no communication with the outside world. Many people are waiting for a response from me to emails. I will eventually be able to get to it. Please be patient.
I was in touch with Liette in Calgary by text message to let her know a little of what was going on. Then my phone lost charge and that communication source was gone. Thank you God that Luckner had bought a small generator to keep part of his compound going. Off to Luckner and Rose Lore’s to get my phone and flashlight for our security agent on duty in the night hours charged up. A daily occurrence, along with running to Deschapelles with buckets to bring home water.
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| Buckets and drum filled. We have water for a few hours. |
On Friday while I was at the school for ‘Report Card Day’ and Germaine was busy in the house, Ti Luc was sitting with the oldest of our children. Ti Luc thought he was well enough (strong enough) to stand on his own. He tried walking and fell down hard on the cement floor. Once again his mouth took the brunt of it and a front tooth split in half, and that one and the one next to it were knocked loose. The bottom half of the cracked tooth just hung there and caused him a lot of pain and problems. A dentist was needed in a hurry. Now this is Haiti so you can’t run to the closest dental clinic. There was no one at Hospital Albert Schweitzer who could help. In the truck and off and running. Ti Riviere first. No help there. We did eventually find help for the precious boy. The bottom half of the tooth is now gone and the mouth is in healing stage. I am thanking God for this and for the teeth my boy still has. Too, I am thanking Him that one day, when Ti Luc is older, he will, with help from a dentist in Canada, have a full set of teeth.
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| Hurry Mama – find help please. |
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| In the truck and looking for help for Ti Luc |
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| Ti Luc’s hands tied to his legs to prevent them involuntarily hitting his mouth |
‘Report Card Day’ – I want you to know that all our HATS children are advancing to the next class in September. That is a huge ‘Thank you God.’ Some did not get a ‘good Mama Karen’ passing mark but they passed. I had a couple of very relieved and happy boys here on Friday. Luckner was still ill on Friday and had to be helped in and out of the truck and given a lot of support to get into the room at the school, where he had to stay seated during the presenting of the reports. His being there, and talking to the parents, was of utmost importance and he made it through. I regularly give God thanks for placing Luckner with this mission. I continue to thank Him for this man who does whatever it takes, whenever it is necessary, to help keep things running the best they possibly can at HATS.
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| Luckner being helped into the school for Report Card Day |
1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances.”
I hope I will always do this and do so immediately, not after fretting a little first.
I thank God for every one of you in Canada, in the US and elsewhere who are supporters of HATS-Haiti. We need prayer support, financial support, love and encouragement. All are important.
Without you the children in this area would not receive the care they are getting. Thank You!!!
Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God every time I remember you.”
I T I S A L L A B O U T T H E C H I L D R E N
God bless you.
~Karen
